There is no doubt that the development of ways to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline has been a priority in discussions and initiatives at multiple levels of the criminal justice and educational systems. There have been advancements like the growth of diversion programs that give youth a second chance, mentorship initiatives, and some relaxation of certain draconian drug laws.
For the persistent patterns that have led to what has been framed as the “school-to-prison pipeline” to be abated; very strong alternatives must continue to be developed, fortified, and supported. One strong alternative pipeline is in the area of computer science. It has great potential to redirect youth into an area of great economic viability and the potential for impactful social innovation. 
Dr. Marcus Bright
One strategy is to build upon existing assessments that measure computational thinking and identify students as early as middle school who have advanced abilities in these areas. According to research from the International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction “there are large differences in computational ability among middle school students even before they start to learn coding.”
The article posited that “computational thinking (CT) is arising as a set of problem-solving skills that must be acquired by the new generations of students to fully understand and participate in our computer-based world.” Students who have been identified by these assessments with high levels of computational talent can be put on an accelerated pathway that includes a dedicated coding curriculum, robotics competitions, industry specific instruction, tech-sector mentorship, and other developmental activities.
Many communities have done a great job of identifying those with athletic talent at an early age and creating many camps, activities, and infrastructures that produce environments for their ability to flourish. Players are often pushed to the edge of their ability by members of the community, parents, coaches, peers, and teammates. The standard excellence that is produced by the cumulative expectations from these groups has generated generations of exceptional athletes and teams in the face of significant economic odds in many cases.
Stereotypes also play a role in what route students pursue and the level of energy, effort, and identity that they invest in their pursuit. The term stereotype, which the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines as “something conforming to a fixed or general pattern especially: a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment”, often carries a negative connotation with it. A stereotype can take on a different level of impact when it is believed and internalized by the person that it is projected on.
The level of one’s internal investment in a stereotype that is projected on them from the outside can impact how much they adjust their decision-making and actions to fulfill the stereotype in some way. The power of a stereotype lies in how much it is believed by those who are projecting it and by those who are on the receiving end of it.
